When the World Comes Down
by A Pen and a Piece of Mind
Summary: When Our Lives Are Done REWRITE When everythings said and done, its the connections with the people in our lives that really matter, not what we've done in the past.
1. Do the Panic

_Alright so I know I deleted my last x-men story but I basically needed to take it, pick it apart, make some serious changes and get it to where I think it should be. So here it is...also no copyright infringement is intended. Oh this chapter is just a basic setup and I'll explain everything that has happened in the past as the story goes on. So let's ignore most of X3 except for the phoenix thing occurring. Yeah, I'm basically rewriting the movie for this story, so hence everything shall be explained as time continues on._

**_When the World Comes Down_**

**_Chapter One_**

**_Do the Panic_**

Ellie Bell walked down the halls of her high school quietly. She was unnoticed, a ghost, invisible, and she liked it that way. Sure, she had two years to graduate, sure she was only sixteen, but she was waiting for her life to begin. High school was taking its toll and it was hell; she was happy she would be done soon, but not soon enough. She was prettier than most of the girls at school, not that it mattered much to her, or them for that matter. She didn't doll herself up to look like the average slut roaming around the halls macking on her flavor of the week. She liked to stay hidden, it was in her nature, solitude.

Her dark brown hair reached her shoulders and her bright green eyes scanned the halls for any incoming traffic that may interrupt her usual path to her history class. Her pale skin was reminiscent of the fact that Seattle was one of the sun's least favorite cities but for whatever reason the pale factor worked well on her. The dark hair and green eyes seemed to counteract the fact that she looked like a ghost in the sunlight, or at least, she thought she looked like a ghost. Her mother seemed to think she looked nice in the sun.

As she made it to her history class without any problems she sat down in her usual seat. While she waited for the teacher to show up and watched as the other students seemed to take free reign of the absence she felt a slight twinge in the back of her head. It wasn't a headache but it wasn't quite natural either. Once the teacher entered the class quieted down and the lesson on the civil war continued from yesterday's discussion.

She felt the twinge again, this time is was painful, like lightning striking in her head. It was then that she started hearing it, voices, whispers at first that soon became loud chattering. They skittered across her conscious at a fast pace before settling down to actual voices she could hear clearly.

_Why do I need to know this? It's not like I'm ever going to use this in real life._

Ellie looked around the room, recognizing the voice as the person next to her.

"Did you just say something?" She asked and the boy, Ben, looked at her as he shook his head no.

She stared around the room as she started hearing more voices. Voices she recognized from her classroom and other voices she didn't. She watched as no one spoke and yet it sounded like a football stadium in her head. She couldn't take it, her head felt like it was going to split in two, the pain was becoming unbearable. It was worse than any migraine she had ever experienced. She placed her head in her hands and felt the pain increase as her head felt like it had physically cracked. It was then that the door shattered off the hinges and flew into the hallway as if someone had blown it up. The glass windows framing the wall beside her completely shattered and the lockers in the hallway ripped open. Her head snapped up with the rest of the students as her hand balled into a fist. She grabbed her backpack and ran outside with the rest of the students.

As they stood in lines while teachers tried to make sense of the situation, thinking of varying possibilities most involving some form of terrorist attack, Ellie snuck away as quickly and quietly as possible.

She ran home not stopping once to take a breath, and she was sorry for that when she finally reached her house, almost collapsing in front of the door. Physical endurance was not her forte, she could run, that wasn't a problem, but her preference was not for athletics. She caught her breath and rushed upstairs to her room, her mother asking her questions all along the way, only to be met with a closed door.

Ellie was adopted, she had known about that her entire life, but her adopted parents were still her parents. They had raised her, helped her become who she was, and had talked her through all the questions she had about her biological parents. She would probably never know the truth of her past, but all she knew was she ended up at the Bells' when she was a few months old, adopted legally of course, she wasn't just dropped on their doorstep or anything.

There were about three facts she had gained from the day.

First, she was glad she could sneak away unnoticed.

Second, she needed to find her biological parents.

Third, she was a mutant.

* * *

The usual schedule of Xavier's School for the Gifted was broken up as the news report began broadcasting what they believed was a terrorist attack at a high school in Seattle. Charles Xavier knew what the supposed terrorist attack was, or rather, who it was. After finding the girl using Cerebro he had Jean come to his office.

He wasn't sure how he was going to put this sudden break of news to her. Sure it had been her choice to give the girl up for adoption, for the baby's safety, but Jean had always tried to find her daughter, to hear her voice, read her thoughts, know what her life was like. She had been unsucessful and no one had known what had become of the her, until now.

"Her powers finally showed up," Jean stated, already knowing what the professor was going to say.

"Yes." The professor looked to the ground and Jean suddenly looked a bit saddened.

"Is she going to come here now?" Jean asked, afraid of the answer, but excited for the possibility.

"Well she definitely has no control over her powers. From what I can tell they are quite advanced and very powerful. What do you think is the best option?" The professor asked, curious about Jean's response, but aware of what the right thing to do was.

"There's not really any options, she's going to have to come here." Jean was quiet after she spoke and the professor nodded his head.

"Yes, she's going to have to. Would you like to go with Ororo to get her?" Charles asked earnestly while Jean looked to the ground.

"I can't...I need some time, she doesn't even know who I am, I need to figure out what to say," Jean stuttered on her words and Charles smiled.

"You've had sixteen years to prepare for this moment, the least you can say is hello. She may not know who you are but you don't think she's not going to realize it in a short amount of time, particularly with you two being in such close proximity with each other," Charles laughed as he said the last part.

"What do you mean?" Jean asked quickly.

"Her powers are very similar to your own, which means that in order for her to gain control over those powers, she needs someone to teach her. Who best to teach her than someone who has those same powers so you best figure out something to say to her." Charles began to leave his office.

"Why are you forcing me into this?" Jean asked, anger overcoming her anxiety.

"It's time to face the past Jean, and I believe her genetic code forced you into this, or you forced yourself into this sixteen years ago, if you want to think about it that way." Charles laughed as he was halfway out the door.

"I'll go with Ororo," Jean muttered as he left.

* * *

Ellie stared at the floor of her room trying to silence the voices she was hearing from the kitchen on the floor below. She could hear her parents thinking about her and the actual words they spoke. She could hear the neighbors next door as they thought about the bills they were going to pay. She didn't want to hear how much they had put on their Visa credit card and how much they spent on their clothing and their car. She hated their car, it was ugly and for how much money they spent on their clothes they could get a much nicer car. They could also stop worrying about their bills if they would stop spending money on those clothes.

She tried to quiet the neighbors thoughts and turned on the stereo trying to cut out the noise. She put the volume up higher than usual and opened the window to block out the noise of the voices. It wasn't working, or at least, not as well as she wanted it to work. She buried her head in her hands, as she sat in the corner of her room, music blaring around her. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting in the corner. The next thing she knew, her mother was knocking on her bedroom door informing her there were visitors downstairs, and she shut off her music walking down the stairs.

Jean sat in the quiet and complacent home looking around the walls where various pictures of Ellie growing up had been framed. Ororo looked around as well before looking back at Jean, physically nervous, and doing anything she could to take her mind off what the next few moments would bring.

They hadn't spoken much during the flight to Seattle, and had made sure to hide the jet somewhere where no military official or ordinary person would find it, but not too far where they wouldn't get to it without spending an enormous amount of money. Jean was anxious to meet the now teenage daughter she had never known and Ororo was excited about seeing her niece for th first time since she was a baby.

With the little words they had spoken, they had agreed not to flat out tell Ellie who Jean was, they would allow her to get to the school and progress naturally into the conversation that would bring about the revelation. It was a more passive approach, Jean thought it would be easier, depending on Ellie's personality of course.

Ellie walked down the stairs as she heard her mother ask whoever the visitors were whether or not they wanted something to drink. She smiled and descended the rest of the stairs.

_Here she comes..._

It was a whisper then it was gone. She couldn't hear the voice anymore. It was familiar, peaceful, and it physically stopped her in her tracks. There was something about the voice, the thought, the feeling behind the thought, fear, anxiety, it was strong whichever it was. Ellie tried to shake off the voice and continued moving forward into the living room where the visitors were sitting.

"This is our daughter, Elizabeth," Her father introduced and Ellie smiled politely.

"Ellie," She corrected.

"It's very nice to meet you Ellie," Jean stated politely, "I'm Jean Grey, I'm a doctor at a school that I think you might be interested in."

They went through the usual spiel about the school, why it was there, who they were, of course not the entire truth about the school and who they were, before they finally settled into an agreement. Ellie was in no way interested in going to this school but her parents thought it best and she reluctantly agreed.

"Well then I think that's settled," Her mother said quietly.

"Yeah, easy for you to say, you're not the one going." Ellie took a deep breath.

"Ellie don't start now," Her mother warned, "Not when we have guests."

"Guests who just show up and say, 'hey send you're kid to this school we have in the middle of New York state, it's cool, you don't have to be a parent anymore or anything,' this sucks and I don't care if they're here or not. I'm going to tell them that even when I'm at their school. I'm not going to hide my feelings about it," Ellie huffed as her parents apologized for her behavior.

_Just like Logan..._

Both Ellie and Jean snapped to look at Ororo. Jean in a warning glare and Ellie in a confused and interested glance. Ellie removed her eyes, playing it off as if she hadn't heard anything, but she had an idea that Jean had seen her.

"Well since you guys are just going to up and decide things without me I'm going up to my room," Ellie said as she stood up, "I'll probably just start packing seeing how you're just all too eager to see me go." It was then that three lightbulbs simultaneously blew out around the room. Ellie looked down to the ground and shuffled her way upstairs.

"That was weird," Ellie's mother stated while she went to get the replacement bulbs.

Jean looked to the window behind her and saw a large crack in the glass. Ororo noticed Jean's gaze and noticed the window as well. They quickly turned back to the parents who were deciding when the best time for Ellie to start school would be.

Eventually, as soon as possible, was the agreement.

* * *

One week later Ellie arrived at Xavier's School for the Gifted where she learned the truth about the school. It didn't freak her out or anything, in fact, she was happier to be at a school with people like her than in her old school that she had half destroyed.

Ellie walked down the hallway, following a young woman named Marie, A.K.A. Rogue, towards her new room.

Marie continued to steal glances at Jean's daughter, seeing the girl's mother and father in her. The entire school, namely the staff, knew about Ellie and also had been warned not to say anything. They couldn't run the risk of Ellie having a telekinetic freak out and inevitably destroying as much as she could. They had learned their best how to avoid any telepathic intrusion that the girl might try, namely, keeping their thoughts erratic enough that she wouldn't be able to understand much.

"Why do you wear gloves? Are you're hands like all wolfed out or something? Is that your power?" Ellie fired off the questions quickly as they were halfway down the hall. "Sorry, I don't like silence all that much," Ellie apologized while Marie laughed quietly.

"It's fine. No, my hands aren't all wolfed out or anything but it does have something to do with my power. See, when I touch someone, I don't know something weird happens where I steal their power for a little while, but it hurts them in the process. I wear gloves to keep everyone safe," Marie explained.

"Can't you just learn to control it?" Ellie asked as she fell into stride with Marie.

"Yes, but while I'm walking down the street I can't be focusing on where I'm going and not harming anyone at the exact same time. It takes a lot out of a person, so the gloves just keep people safe and prevent me from getting overly exhausted."

Ellie nodded, "I'm going to be honest that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me but it's your life so whatever."

"Well here we are," Marie said as they stopped at one of the doors. She opened the door and Ellie looked inside.

"My own room? I thought this place had like dorms or something," Ellie stated staring from the small bedroom to Marie.

"It does but..."

"What are you like worried I might kill somebody?" Ellie smiled until she saw Marie's reaction, "You really think I could kill somebody?" Ellie looked down to the floor.

"I don't think you would intentionally but its just considering your parents' powers it's just better to be safe than sorry," Marie said until she realized her mistake.

"My parents? You knew them...you knew my biological parents," Ellie said quickly, catching every last word Marie had said.

"No, I didn't know them personally. Its more of a theory that your parents were mutants because you're so powerful. Its just a theory, I don't know who your parents are," Marie lied, forming a story in her head. Ellie squinted her eyes trying to read Marie's thoughts, but she couldn't.

"That makes sense I guess," Ellie stated in what she hoped was a convincing tone, but she wasn't going to let the conversation end there, it was just on temporary hiatus.

Ellie thanked Marie and walked into her room to start unpacking. She shut the door and took a deep breath.

Marie walked down the hallway and to the elevator. When she exited the elevator in the basement, she walked towards the lab where Jean was standing.

"Her hair's darker than I expected," Marie said to Jean, who looked up from whatever paper work she had been pouring over.

"I know she looks a lot like him," Jean mused quietly.

"Yeah, but she's got your eyes, there's no denying the fact that she's yours."

Jean looked down, "She's going to figure it out eventually."

"No shit," Marie said loudly, "Aren't you teaching her how to use her powers?"

"Yes, I am, it was the professor's bright idea." Jean shrugged.

"When does that start?"

"Tomorrow." Jean took a deep breath.

"Well good luck with that," Marie said in anything but a sarcastic manner, "I guess she looks enough like Logan that she may not catch on immediately."

Jean flinched, "Let's hope so."

"I'm sorry, I forgot," Marie apologized.

"No, I mean it's been long enough that it shouldn't hurt anymore. I mean it shouldn't, but it still does, however that doesn't forbid you from ever talking about him." Jean smiled.

"Yeah, but seriously you might want to tell her the truth sometime soon before she finds it out on her own," Marie warned.

"You think she might?" Jean asked, her voice going up an octave out of anxiety.

"Well you never know if someone might let something slip, its just better for her and you if you were the one to tell her and talk to her." Marie smiled, "Well I guess I should be getting out of your hair, good luck," Marie stated as she left the room.

Jean looked to the ground, "Oh I hope this goes well," she said quietly to herself.

**Went to school and I was very nervous  
No one knew me, no one knew me  
Hello teacher, tell me, what's my lesson?  
Look right through me, look right through me - Mad World - Tears for Fears**

* * *

_Well there's chapter one, as you can see I'm ignoring/rewriting X3 as I go through this story. Things work better I guess. Anyway, if you've gotten this far, thanks for reading and if you wish just press that little review button and tell me what you think. Thanks!_

_...to be continued..._


	2. In Time

_Thanks for the advice from my reviewers, yeah its very rare that I can write a killer summary but I tried, hopefully it's better than it was before._

_And we continue..._

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**"In Time"**

It had been nearly three weeks since the arrival of Ellie and the school hadn't lightened up with the staring. Every single person in every hallway would stare at her, as if she would combust on the spot. It confused her to no end. Her only saving grace, the hour she had to spend in Jean Grey's office every day. It was a little bit like therapy and a little bit like a study hall.

She walked down the hallway as classes began, heading to the same office she had been going to for almost a month..

She opened the door and walked inside the office, having stopped knocking by the end of the first week.

She didn't speak for that first week, Jean would ask her questions try to see inside her mind but Ellie never spoke. By the second week, Jean would try to teach her about mind reading and Ellie would give minimal responses. They were mostly one word answers but it was progress.

It was by the third week that Ellie finally opened up a little more and spoke in complete sentences.

"I have a question?" Ellie asked after sitting down in the usual chair in front of Jean's desk.

"She speaks," Jean stated sarcastically.

"I know it's shocking but I honestly have a legitimate question," Ellie said quietly.

"Alright then, ask away." Jean sat back in her chair and waited.

"Why is every student here staring at me? Its not like an, 'oh, there's the new kid,' stare, its like an, 'I've heard about you,' stare. And it hasn't lightened up in the past three weeks, that's ridiculous." Ellie huffed.

"Maybe they heard about how you destroyed half of your old school? You can't blame them for being a little worried," Jean said as Ellie's eyes darkened.

"That's a cheap shot," Ellie stated as she looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Jean apologized while Ellie looked at her.

"It's okay, its a fact, an unfortunate fact. I have another question," Ellie said before Jean could return to her notes. In the past three weeks, even with Ellie not speaking, Jean had taken notes on her. It was part of the fact that she was a doctor and it was part of the fact that Ellie was her daughter. She wanted to know about Ellie and she wanted to know if there were any similarities between herself and her child. The most pressing matter was the existence of another, more powerful, being inside the fragile teen in front of her. It wasn't clear what the answer was at the moment.

"What's your next question?" Jean knew the whole question answer routine wasn't done, Ellie would ask her questions until the time ran out. She was a lot like Logan in that fact, he would constantly question her until her brain was fried, and she could do nothing but sleep. That was of course when he wasn't being a sarcastic ass and when he was still around.

"Why do they stare at you?" Ellie's eyes met Jean's own. For a moment, Jean stumbled over her thoughts and Ellie seemed to be searching for something. It was familiar and unknown, hidden beneath the surface, it was something that Ellie didn't quite understand or recognize at the moment.

"Well, they stare at me because I lost control and it changed a lot of things." She tried to keep it as honest as well as minimal.

"What kinds of things?" Ellie asked curiously.

"For starters, the way people thought about me, and the way they looked at me, as you've apparently seen. It just, it affected a lot of things that I'm not really ready to talk about yet." Jean sighed as Ellie nodded, seeming to understand.

"Okay, that makes sense. When am I going to be able to go to regular classes? I mean, I understand the whole reasoning behind keeping me away from the school but like why can't I go to English class instead of reading the book by myself?" Ellie was hurt by the isolation. She didn't want to be a freak, let alone, the freak amongst freaks.

"I don't know. I would assume once they realize that you're not dangerous but they don't want to take chances since they don't really know what you're capable of." Jean felt bad, she had seen Ellie sitting in the hallways by herself reading and doing homework while various students passed by her quickly and nervously. Ellie had been vigilant about reporting to Jean's office on time, but the rest of the day was to herself, and she hated it. "I might be able to extend this time and maybe I could be like a personal teacher or something, until you can go to regular classes," Jean offered and Ellie seemed to brighten.

"Yeah, I mean that would be fine or whatever. It's cool, I don't care." Jean smiled as Ellie feigned her carelessness.

"Any more questions?" Jean asked and Ellie seemed to mull this over.

"Not right now," Ellie lied and Jean smiled.

* * *

Later that day Jean walked into the Professor's office and he smiled the minute she walked in.

"How are things with Ellie going?" Xavier asked before his students arrived.

"Very well, we actually made some progress today, she's talking," Jean said with a smile and Xavier laughed.

"That is good news."

Jean shifted on her feet, "I have a question or rather a request on both mine and Ellie's part."

"And that would be?" The professor asked already guessing what that request was.

"Ellie is not currently in any other classes for reasons that have been said, but I don't quite understand, and neither does she for that matter. Anyway, because she is not in any of the classes, could I be her teacher, not just a therapist or someone to teach her how to use her powers, but a real teacher? It gives her a chance to become more a part of the school, at least as much as she can be at the moment, and she would have someone to ask questions and learn from instead of herself." Jean took a deep breath awaiting the response.

"I think that's a great idea. Honestly, I was wondering when she was going to ask you for that, it's been on her mind for at least the past week or so," Xavier stated knowingly.

"It has?" Jean asked not having picked up on those thoughts.

"Yes, she likes you even though she has barely said anything to you and she wants someone to teach her not just talk at her. She likes it here too if that makes you feel better, she just likes to act like she doesn't." Xavier laughed and Jean smiled.

"I don't know if I can do this," Jean stated quietly, "Not just the teaching thing, but learning about her, and telling her the truth. I don't know if I can handle it."

"I think it's important that she learns the truth, she may be mad for a little while but she can't hold it against you. It's not your fault and you know that, she'll understand. Though, I do think the sooner you do it, the better. I wouldn't think about the past and the girl you didn't know, but rather, the young woman who's here now. You can do this, Jean, I know you can." Xavier smiled and Jean nodded before his students entered. She bid him goodbye and walked out of the room.

She would tell Ellie in time but until then, she would be her teacher and try to learn about her daughter. Hopefully things would go well and maybe Ellie would be happy to know where she came from and not angry about it, but Jean could not be sure. She took a deep breath after reaching her office, quietly telling herself that she could do this. She could do this. She had to do this, it was the best way. She could do this. Hopefully.

**It's like a poison in my brain  
It's like a fog that blurs the sane  
It's like a vine you can't untangle  
I'm freaking out - Paranoid - Jonas Brothers**

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	3. Shadows Searching in the Night

_Sorry I've been gone for so long...working two jobs will suck the life out of you._

_Anyway here is chapter three, hope you like it!_

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**"Shadows Searching in the Night"**

Ellie sat in her usual chair in Jean's office, now her classroom. It had been a week and she had already brightened up significantly.

"So what are we doing today? Are you going to make me lift the pile of books again?" Ellie asked with a smile but Jean shook her head.

"No, we are going on a field trip," Jean said with enthusiasm and Ellie cocked her head slightly.

"I'm allowed out?"

"It's not a prison, Ellie, but yes." Jean waited for Ellie's reaction. It took only seconds but Ellie was up and out of her chair.

"Where are we going?" Ellie asked excitedly as she looked out the window.

"Do you want me to tell you or do you want to be suprised when we get there?" Jean asked, "Oh, and don't worry I've already cleared everything."

"I figured you would have and I want to be suprised," Ellie stated decidedly and Jean stood up from her desk.

"Then lets get going, its like an hour away but you should be back for dinner." Ellie followed Jean out of the room and towards the garage.

An hour later and the car pulled in to the parking lot of a large park. Various children played in the afternoon sun whilst their parents watched vigilantly. A small group of teenagers sat on the basketball court watching some of their friends play, smoking cigarettes and acting like they were cooler than they actually were.

"Wow, they look cool," Ellie stated sarcastically.

"Come on, there's a bench over there."

They walked to the bench where they sat down, a few minutes past while Ellie seemed to analyze the scenes around her.

"So, why are we here exactly?" She asked after another moment of silence.

"Its a nice day, this is a nice park, and it gives you a chance to practice control in a real life setting," Jean stated as Ellie shifted in her seat a little.

"We had to drive an hour to a park, there has to be like a dozen of them all over the place." Ellie was scared, there were a lot of people in the park and she didn't want to hurt any of them. She tried to put up a block and keep the thoughts out of her head. It worked.

"The institute is kind of isolated and I really like this park, personally." Jean looked to the ground quickly, remembering how Logan took her here when she was trying to recover the pieces or herself. He said the drive would be good for her and it was. The park was nice too and it was just out of reach of the institue, which made it a little easier to try and face her actions. "You're kind of alone at the school," Jean spoke quietly and it was Ellie's turn to look to the ground.

"Maybe I like being alone." Ellie tried to smile and fake the tough exterior but the truth was she didn't like the isolation she felt inside the school.

"I don't think you do." Jean smirked a little. It was funny, the issue of nature vs. nurture. Jean could see what the adoptive parents had raised Ellie to be, which was a polite and very grown up kid but she also saw the instincts and the personality traits of both Logan and herself.

"Sometimes I do, sometimes not so much. You know it could just be the fact that I'm adopted so I don't really feel like I belong anywhere but I genuinely want to fit in as much as I can. I know I wasn't that receptive to the idea of the school but I don't entirely hate it. I mean people look at me like I'm going to do some harm to them but I honestly don't really give a shit what they think. I'm sorry for cursing." Ellie quickly caught herself before Jean even had to send a look her way.

"Do you think about your parents, you know, your biological parents?" Jean asked anxiously awaiting the answer.

"I didn't until well...things happened. So now I kind of can't help it. I mean I inherited a lot of what I can do and I don't know the full extent of what I can do, no one does. Would I like to know who they were? Maybe. I don't really know what I want." Ellie shrugged her shoulders as she finished her sentence. It was true, she didn't know what she wanted. It was a catch-22. She could find out who her parents were and they could be horrible people or she could sit in the dark and have a constant nagging to want to know the truth. She honestly considered flipping a coin and leave it up to fate because she would never be able to decide.

"How are you feeling?" Jean noticed the slightest twinge of pain on Ellie's face, but it wasn't from the thoughts that threatened to penetrate her shield.

"I'm fine, it's not really bothering me." Ellie smiled, for a second, she felt normal, "So why did they send me to you? I'm not complaining I'm just asking."

"We share similar powers and have very similar capabilities." Jean said it as best as she could. She wanted to tell Ellie the truth, but with all the people in the park, it was too risky.

"Okay..." Ellie felt the pain of thoughts now trying to intrude her carefully laid block, she had to keep talking and ignore them, keep them away.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jean asked again, the motherly concern taking over.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why does it seem like you and I are in very similar situations?" Ellie asked quickly, ignoring the headache beginning to form.

"What do you mean?" Jean was scared, could Ellie know the truth?

"Well, like, it seems the other teachers are kind of on edge around you, the same with the other kids and me. What happened? Like you were part of the X-men with them and whatever so why don't they seem to be particularly close to you. Except Rogue, she's cool." Ellie stated matter of factly. It was obvious in the mansion, everyone avoided Jean Grey except for Professor X and Rogue. Occassionally Storm would go and talk to Jean but she wasn't much of the teacher she used to be. Even over the course of over a decade the team hadn't fully recovered. They were afraid of what was inside of her, of what could come back and bring them all to an end.

"It's hard to explain and I don't think here is really the best place for it." Jean said calmly. If she was going to tell Ellie what happened then she had to tell Ellie the entire truth and that would require a confined room with no other people around who could be hurt.

"You know you don't have to tell me, I was just stating a fact. It's a lot easier for me to ignore the thoughts if I keep talking so it doesn't even really matter what you say. I just need the noise." Ellie said as she looked off into the distance of some trees, "Who that's toolbag over there?"

Jean followed Ellie's eyes, smiling at the term toolbag.

In moments of emotional distress, one often experiences a series of events in quick succession. The first of these events for Jean Grey was noticing the man staring at a mother and daughter sitting on a park bench. The second was the expression upon that man's face upon seeing the two of them. He knew, he had been walking by and he had smelled the two of them. He knew. The third was the anger she felt and as screams began to fill the park trees began to collapse. The fourth was the simple touch of a hand on her shoulder and the fear in a teenager's eyes that mirrored her own so well.

They quickly left the park as police sirens were heard in the distance.

It wasn't until they were well inside the institute that Ellie finally had anything to say, which was the simple phrase, "Holy shit."

**My brain says I'm receiving pain  
A lack of oxygen from my life support  
My iron lung - My Iron Lung - Radiohead**

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	4. Flowers for a Ghost

_Here's chapter four..._

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**"Flowers for a Ghost"**

Jean Grey had been holed up in her office for about a week. No one had seen her or spoken to her, not even Ellie. She had been allowed to begin classes with the rest of the student body considering her excellent control in an exceedingly frightening situation. She would resume her sessions with Miss Grey when she was better. Ellie didn't quite understand the situation and even more so, she didn't understand the stranger who had come to the school the very next day after the incident. This could be what prompted the sheltered Jean Grey, but Ellie would never know, nor would the other students.

He arrived the morning after and even though she didn't see him, Jean knew he was there. She knew his presence. Ororo had answered the door, had given him a welcoming hug, despite the obvious tension in the house from Marie who walked right by the entrance way without so much as a glance in his direction. Some of the others were a bit more forgiving. Warren had shaken his hand, as had Hank and the Professor had smiled and greeted him in his normally cheerful demeanor. It wasn't until about an hour after his return that he noticed a young man who didn't seem to belong at the school.

"What are you doing here, Gambit?" He asked gruffly, ready to fight the Brotherhood member.

"I live here. I've been reformed, just came back from a mission actually. What brings you here, Logan?" The cajun replied in his drawl.

He didn't answer. He wasn't sure what brought him back, at least, he wasn't aware of it.

"You might want to figure it out soon. I've got to go and teach some fighting techniques in the danger room, see you around, mon ami." With that Remy left the room as Logan caught the faint scent of something familiar and yet foreign to him at the same time.

He followed the scent, remembering the only other time he had caught it, when he followed it to the park. He recognized the one scent as he was leaving a burger joint across the street from the park, but the second one caught him off guard. It smelt like her and it smelt like him, it was different but he knew ultimately what it would lead to. When he saw them, he knew, instinctively, who the girl was.

He took off for the school after the shock had worn off early in the morning. Now he was here having returned from a long and deeply personal absence. Something he needed to explain and didn't want to have to explain at the same time. He kept walking knowing who he was heading for.

He saw her, sitting by a window reading a book. He saw what was Jean's and what was his. He saw his daughter for the first time and something stirred inside of him. A need to protect her and to hold her in his arms to make up for the lost years. Where had she been? Why hadn't he been told? He felt like an asshole, he was gone, why would they have told him?

"You know I can see you right?" Ellie asked him looking up from her book for the first time.

"What're you reading?" He asked, taken aback by the green eyes staring at him.

"_Brave New World_, its a little weird but I like it," She stated with a shrug.

"That's cool," He said, trying to keep the conversation going without knowing quite what to say in order to do so.

"I know you were the one at the park that freaked Miss Grey out." Logan was taken aback both at the fact that she knew and that she seemed to be unaware as to who both Jean and he were.

"You do?"

"It doesn't take a genius to remember some guy staring across a park which subsequently caused a normally level headed teacher to go nuts." Ellie shrugged again before turning back to her book, "What'd you do to her?"

"Why do you think I did something?" Logan asked, an anger growing.

"Because I was standing right next to her and that look was the same look that all women get when they're pissed at a guy. Its the stare that if it could kill, it would." Ellie smirked.

"Yeah, well, it's not something that I need to tell you about at the moment." Logan said, trying to pick his words carefully. He didn't want to tell her, he needed to talk to Jean first, but he thought she should know.

"It's not really any of my business anyway, I don't really know you that well or her for that matter." She was lying, she knew something, Logan could hear it in the heartbeat, it must have been going a mile a minute when he entered the room. She knew something or at least, she knew more than she was letting on.

"Do you know who I am?" Logan asked, testing the waters.

"No, why would I know who you are?" Ellie sounded confused.

"I don't know...I'm Logan." The introduction sounded stupid, she should know who he is or who he should have been. He was angry with Jean and himself. He didn't understand what was happening or what had happened, he needed to know.

"Ellie well Elizabeth but I like Ellie," She said quickly.

"Why Ellie and not Liz or Beth or something like that?" He asked, confused at the nickname.

"Because everybody uses Liz and I wanted something that wasn't what everybody else had. Besides, it works." Ellie said with a smile.

Logan smiled too, "It does." He hesitated for a minute, "I'll see you around," he said before heading towards Charles' office.

"Yep," Ellie replied without looking up from her book.

He walked through the same door into the same office where the same man sat waiting for him.

"Hello, Logan, I wondered when you would be back." Charles smiled. "However, I didn't expect you to come see me this soon, I expected you would want to speak with Jean about someone in particular. That is why you're here, correct?"

"Don't play that game Chuck, I know you already know everything. Now, if someone could explain it to me, that would be great." Logan sat in a chair, wishing he had a cigar on him.

"It's not really my place to discuss it. Jean is in her office or her room, I'm not quite sure," Charles stated quietly.

"She putting the block on you Charlie?" Logan asked with a small laugh in his voice.

"I try not to intrude but yes, she is," Charles said, eyebrow raised at the hint of laughter in Logan's voice, "If you want your old job back you are welcome to it, but you will have to share with Remy. However, since Scott left I think there's been a certain absence in more of the teaching side to the curriculum. Maybe you can take Remy down a few pegs, he just likes to have the kids break a lot of things in the danger room."

"I'll have to think about it. I might not be staying long." Logan stood up from the chair. He needed a nap, a nice, long, nap.

"I don't have to be telepathic to know that's just not true." Charles smiled as Logan left the room.

Within that week, Logan took back his position while Remy suffered a demotion from teacher to assistant teacher. Jean had yet to leave her room and Ellie grew more curious at the stranger and the reactions of those around her.

She thought it was time to start asking questions and she knew the right person to go to. The person who seemed the most angry. Rogue.

She waited outside the elevator knowing that Rogue would have to pass by it at some point. However, just as Marie was walking down the hallway, Xavier decided to call her to his office. Ellie walked the path she had walked that first day, to his office, where she felt like she was being sentenced by a judge. A friendly, British, judge, who wasn't really that bad.

She opened the door and walked in the room.

There was no decree, no horrible punishment, it was just news that she was going to start all of her classes with all of the teachers, just like the other students. She wasn't dangerous, she passed whatever waiting period she had been forced through and now she was rewarded.

"Does this mean I don't go to Dr. Grey anymore?" She asked outwardly calm but inwardly confused about what she was feeling.

"No, you will still go there but after your other classes. However, you will probably not be going there for at least another week or so, we'll keep you posted." Charles smiled.

"That's fair, can I go now?" Ellie asked, itching to get out of the room.

"Yes, you can go." Charles smiled wider as Ellie quickly left the room. Jean had always hated coming into the office when he called her. She always thought she was in some sort of trouble. It was funny, the similarities.

Ellie finally caught Rogue just as she was exiting the elevator.

"Hey, wait up," Ellie half spoke and half shouted down the hall. She ran to catch up but Rogue kindly waited.

"What's going on, Sugar?" She asked in her own Southern drawl.

"I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me?" Ellie asked, noticing the slight and sudden worry place itself on Marie's face before she tried to make it disappear.

"What did you want to ask me?" Marie asked, awkwardly.

"Why are you so pissed at that guy who came here last week?" Ellie asked abruptly.

"Its a very long story..."

"Yeah, I've heard that before," Ellie cut her off before changing her approach," Well, then answer me this, you said you knew my parents right, like my biological parents?"

"Yes." Marie stopped walking as Ellie seemed to corner her.

"Can I ask you some yes and no questions, just about them and stuff, no bullshit?" Ellie asked with her eyes to the floor.

"Sure, no bullshit." Marie smiled.

"Are they dead?" Ellie asked quickly.

"No."

"Were they students here?" Ellie asked, again stating it quickly almost as if it were an interrogation.

"One of them was," Marie answered, no longer trying to hide the worry on her face. She shouldn't have agreed to this but she wasn't going to lie.

"Were they teachers?" Ellie was closing in on the answers she needed, the truth she wanted.

"Yes."

Ellie hesitated for a moment before, "It's not you is it?"

"No, I think I'm a little offended that you were so alarmed about that," Marie said, her worry suddenly dissipating.

"That's not what I meant, I'm just thinking. You know what, this was stupid, I shouldn't have even bothered. I'm sorry." Ellie began to walk way but Marie stopped her.

"You're parents, at least your mother, loved you so much but there were circumstances that put you in a very vulnerable position. She did the only thing she could think of. And to be fair to your father, he doesn't know about you, but he should. At least, he should have been there or have done something other than what he did. Anyway, that's all I can tell you, and I know it doesn't make any sense right now, but if you think about it, really think about it, it will. I made a very big promise to your mother and I can't go about taking that back but you can figure it out all on your own, Sugar." With those parting words she walked past Ellie and towards her own room.

Ellie thought it over and over throughout the night but like Marie had said, it didn't make any sense. Maybe she was over thinking it? The words were simple but it had to be in the phrasing. Rogue was angry at the mention of her father, she was down right pissed. At that moment, as if it were beating her over the head, she knew who her father was and with that discovery it ultimately led her to figure out about her mother. With a new clarity, she understood why Jean was acting the way she was and why Logan had spoken to her the way that he did.

She understood more than she cared to know and without any hopes of falling asleep, she threw off the covers and walked downstairs to where the television was.

She turned it on with hopes of drowning out the biggest answer of her life and the even bigger questions that came with it. It wasn't until the first commercial break of some reality show that the lies began to sting and her tears finally started falling.

**Secrets are a stain that mess up your mind  
That we love to play  
Take your time, waste your time  
While life slips away - Swallow the Sea - Matthew Perryman Jones**

_...to be continued..._


	5. We're Not the Fortunate Ones

_And on we are to chapter five..._

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**"We're Not the Fortunate Ones"**

Ellie managed to stop crying sometime between the end of the reality show and the beginning of a long series of infomercials. She finally settled into some form of numbness where all she did was sit and watch television neither thinking, or feeling, anything at all. She heard someone descend the stairs at around four in the morning. She expected it to be some student who needed a drink of water but it wasn't.

"Ellie?"

She turned to look at the person who had addressed her. It was Remy. He took one second to look at her.

"Damn, you look terrible. Have you slept at all Cherie?"

She shook her head and it took another second before he sat down beside her on the couch. "Did Rogue tell you?"

Ellie shook her head again. "She told me enough and I figured out the rest."

Remy heard the utter lack of emotion in the words that came out of the girl's mouth that he felt just as helpless as she did. He did the only thing he could possibly think of.

"Alright, come with me." Remy grabbed Ellie's arm and she went with him willingly after turning off the television.

They went into the elevator and down to the lower levels of the school. They walked down the hallway and into a room that Ellie had never gone into before but Remy had many times. He opened the door and let Ellie walk to the center of the room. He set the simulation before he joined her in the room.

"What is this?" Ellie asked, the curiosity in her voice barely making its way to the words.

"This is the danger room. This is where the X-men and the students train and learn to use their powers. It's the best medicine when you're angry or upset about anything. Trust me, breaking something always works." The simulation began. It was a low level simulation with a few baddies to fight here and there. Mostly it was just running around the environment and hurling stuff at small, very defensless robots. It was simply to get the anger out.

After an hour, Ellie was nowhere near tired and Remy upped the power of the simulation. It wasn't until about another thirty minutes later that Remy decided to quit and hang out in the control room while Ellie continued with the trainings, reaching a much higher level than most of the students. She wouldn't quit, she wasn't tired and she was angry, she was Logan's daughter, she wouldn't quit.

Another hour and a completely wrecked Sentinel later, Remy decided to call it quits for her. They stayed in the control room and played poker before Ellie decided to head back up the stairs.

Remy looked at his God daughter with a sympathy he very rarely had for anyone. He knew he would be the one who had to tell Marie that Ellie knew. If things hadn't already been heading for a shift, they were going there now. He was one of the few in the mansion that wasn't angry with Logan for leaving but rather was more disappointed in Jean for doing what she did.

He didn't understand it and he probably wouldn't.

Ellie walked through the hallways until she found herself outside of Logan's room. She didn't knock on the door, she didn't want to knock on the door, she just stood in the hallway. Marie found her standing outside the room a few minutes later and walked Ellie to her own room. Rogue sat on her bed while Ellie sat in a chair located across from the bed.

"You figured it out, I assume?" Marie asked, trying to comfort Ellie with a smile, it didn't work.

"You think?" Ellie replied with a biting edge in her words.

"I told Jean to tell you when you got here, but she didn't listen to me," Marie said, trying to explain as best as she could knowing full well it was worthless.

"I don't care what you tried to do. What's done is done and no one can change what happened. I found out like this and it hurts a million times more than if she had just told me to my face. I don't care when she told me but if it had come from her, it would have been better than me putting all the little pieces together from your vague words." Ellie felt like she was screaming in a crowded room where she was overwhelmed with a deadly mixture of despair, betrayal, and rage.

"I know it would have been better and if I could change things I would, in a heartbeat, but I can't. I think you should talk to her." Marie was trying to push Ellie in the right direction, she had ultimately helped the process of Ellie finding out the truth and she needed to help in the process of Ellie and Jean finding something that should never have been lost in the first place.

"I'm not talking to either one of them. I don't care about what either one of them has to say. From what I can gather, he's been gone this whole time so he really doesn't know shit. However, she does and I think I'm more pissed at her for giving me up." Ellie looked down at the floor.

"There were some very real problems that needed handling and from what I understand there were other circumstances that led to the decision." Marie tried.

"Yeah, what circumstances? She wasn't a teenage mother and she lives in a freaking school that is basically a mansion. I don't understand anything behind that choice other than it was for selfish reasons. You know what, just leave it because I don't want to talk about it. I'm done thinking about it for now." Ellie stormed out of the room and walked to her own to get dressed for the day.

She tried not to think about it, but it was the only thing she could think of. She tried to focus on her new class schedule, on whatever it was the students were learning, but she couldn't. She hoped the lack of sleep would aid her in not being able to think, but it didn't help at all, in fact it made everything worse.

She finally passed out in Storm's class and was shaken awake at the end by Storm herself.

"Are you okay?" Ororo asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ellie shook her off, leaving the classroom abruptly. Instead of going to her other classes, Ellie decided to head to her room where she abruptly fell asleep the minute she hit her pillow.

A few hours later, Ellie heard students enjoying their afternoon both outside and in the school. She looked out her window where she saw Logan walking on the grounds, smoking a cigar. She left her room and decided to head out to the grounds herself.

She walked behind him for a few minutes not quite knowing what to say to him.

"Why are you following me, kid?" Logan asked as he turned around and simultaneously threw his finished cigar onto the ground before proceeding to stomp it out.

"I'm not following you," Ellie said, her words coming out a lot harsher than she intended them to.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked, noticing the sudden change in what he assumed was her normal demeanor, he could only judge based on one conversation. He also could see the lack of sleep and the odd sadness behind her eyes which he was sure he hadn't seen before. But again, he had only ever spoken to her once.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? It's so annoying," Ellie complained, more to herself than anyone.

"Maybe it's because you don't look like yourself," Logan said, taking a step towards her, afraid she might pass out in front of him or try to hurt someone.

"How would you know what I normally look like?" Ellie snapped and Logan held up his hands.

"Whoah, kid, I'm just saying okay? I didn't mean anything by it. Have you slept?" Logan asked, unsure of what he should do. He noticed the sudden lack of students and teachers as the sun was beginning to set.

"Yes, I just woke up from a nap." Ellie took a deep breath but she couldn't seem to calm the feeling of tears beginning to form.

"I meant a full nights sleep. Is there something wrong?" Logan waited as she seemed to fight something that was trying to force its way out. He saw her eyes begin to water and he felt a sudden need to stop whatever had hurt her. This was his daughter, whether Jean had told him or not, this was his own flesh and blood.

"Everything's wrong. I feel like I don't know who I am because my whole life I accepted the fact that I was adopted and I never thought about who my biological parents were. Then I come here and guess what, you're both here, and that causes kind of an identity crisis with me because I don't really know anything about myself anymore. I don't know anything about you and I'm afraid to know." Ellie rampled and spoke so fast, Logan only managed to catch a few words and within those words he knew what she was saying.

"You know that I'm your father?" Logan stood in place, feeling frozen to the spot.

"Did you know about me?" Ellie asked, her tears starting to fall.

"No, I didn't, not until about a week ago when I saw you in the park." Logan couldn't move and he made no attempt to, neither did Ellie.

"I don't know why I came out here, I didn't even want to talk to you, I'm sorry." With that Ellie walked back to the school in a hurry while Logan remained standing still, rooted to a spot he felt he would never manage to leave.

**There is no pain, you are receding  
A distant ship smoke on the horizon  
You are coming through in waves  
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying - "Comfortably Numb" - Pink Floyd**

_...to be continued..._


	6. Stranger in a Strange Land

_I sincerely apologize for the long wait, holiday hours kicked in and school decided it wanted to kill me. At last we come to chapter six._

* * *

**_Chapter Six_**

**_Stranger in a Strange Land_**

Ellie walked the halls of the mansion, quietly, shuffling her feet along the hard wood and carpet begging for no one to come across her at the moment. The students were at dinner while rain began to fall, the sound gentle, almost soothing. If only her mind would be soothed. She felt like breaking something and unleashing the fury, almost feral, being itching at her skin, begging to be released from the cage she tried to keep it in.

It had only come to her attention a day or so ago. She had begun to feel like there was something, animalistic and unpredictable, inside. It wasn't trapped, it was very much free to roam about her mind and soul but it was there and it was begging to make its presence known to others. Ellie was scared of it but comforted by it at the exact same time. It was the very thing that recognized her father before she knew who he was. Who knew who her mother was before any form of that knowledge had even tried to creep its way into her cerebellum.

This was the familial link she felt with her biological mother and father and the reason she never felt attached to her adoptive parents. She had tried, almost desperately, to love them and while she cared for them, she couldn't call them her parents as much as they would call her their child. It had felt unnatural then, which was quite the opposite now. She was angry about the situation, she wouldn't be human if she wasn't, but she felt home at the manor. The animal inside of her felt unnerved but it didn't feel uncomfortable or out of place here.

She wanted to speak to Jean, to find out what this thing was, what she was feeling and why it was here. Was it her mother's doing or her father's? Could it be both? The attachment she already felt was for both of them and the being inside of her recognized the ones in them but it didn't have a voice, it didn't tell her what it knew. It was just her wrestling with a monster inside of her subconcious. But it wasn't a monster, it was something else entirely.

Ellie walked down the hallway of the school, a new goal in her mind, determination the only emotion she would allow herself to feel. The hurt was there, she just had to push it down, keep it from breaking the surface. She needed information about what was happening to her, the emotional baggage she now carried would have to wait, and the confrontation with her mother would come all too soon as she was the only one Ellie could speak to about it.

She felt like she was walking in a haze as she made her way downstairs to the medical wing. She had located Jean all too easily, the older mutant wasn't trying to shield her mind from her daughter. Jean knew what Ellie was coming for, that she knew the truth, and Ellie knew that Jean could read her thoughts just as easily, because she was letting her as well. She wanted Jean to know she was on her way.

As the door opened Ellie saw Jean sitting on a chair beside a desk in the room, Logan stood in the corner, leaning against the wall. They didn't look at each other, only at her as she walked in.

"I only wanted to talk to you," Ellie said, trying to clarify what wires may have been crossed in the all too clear thoughts she had sent.

"I know but this concerns all of us," Jean said and both Ellie and Logan snorted at the exact same time.

"If this concerns all of us then why weren't you just honest with me from the get go?" Ellie asked as she clenched her hand into a fist, the monster was scratching at the surface, her anger threatening to unleash it.

Logan could feel it whilst Jean could hear it. It set them both on edge and suddenly, feeling threatened, Ellie recoiled against the wall in fear.

"Whoah, kiddo, no ones going to hurt you," Logan spoke, trying to remain calm as the claws threatened to come loose while his own inner animal struggled with the scent of the frightened one in his child. It didn't want to hurt the younger one, it wanted to protect it from whatever was causing the fear. He wouldn't hurt his daughter, no, but there was something inside his child that was unpredictable and it needed to be tamed.

Jean could hear the subconscious of the beast within her daughter and knew what it was. It was just like the young woman on the surface, a perfect mixture of her parents, a blend of the feral rage in the Wolverine and the overwhelming power of the Phoenix.

"What is it?" Ellie asked knowing just what they were reacting to. Her father's hands clenched too tightly whilst her mother stared at her with wide eyes, listening to whatever was inside.

Logan couldn't answer.

All Jean could utter was three small words, "I don't know."

Ellie forgot all the anger she held towards her recently discovered parents and was suddenly filled with a new fear at her power and something she figured was just beginning to show itself. She was terrified and it was only of herself that the fear stemmed.

She left the medical facility with nothing solved and more problems on her mind. She felt tired despite sleeping for a few hours. She could hear Logan and Jean begin to speak in the medical facility and she could tell that neither had moved from the spot. So much for the conversation she wanted. Was nothing going to be okay? She didn't know.

Everything seemed to be spiraling now and she felt as if she was only facing the precipice and she still had a long way to fall. As she lay in bed that night, her eyes closed with the feeling of exhaustion. The world around her was taking its toll on her already fragile self. The animal inside of her rested as she did and Ellie felt doubly tired, if that was at all possible.

It took minutes for her mind to be filled with darkness as she slept but it would not be soundly. Soon nightmares began to fill her head, of cages and chains, of being used for destruction and of fire and apocalypse that she was causing. She did not rest and woke merely an hour later to her own screaming as the mirror in her room shattered with the force of a truck running through it.

She sat up in her bed, the darkness overwhelming while she breathed heavily. She heard the footsteps coming down the hall in a hurried rush and waited as the door opened quickly with such a force that it was almost alarming. The light from the hall flooded into the room but Ellie wasn't effected by it, she was still too consumed in the thoughts of her previous dream. She was only barely aware of the arms wrapping her into a hug, a comforting and unqeustioned gesture from her mother that immediately quieted the thoughts in her head. She was not angry, not right now, but she knew her mother had seen what she had seen.

"I'm sorry about the mirror," Ellie whispered as the light cast a shadow onto both her and her mother's face.

"We have plenty," Jean replied, the hug becoming tighter, more desperate to make the nightmare go away.

**why doesn't anyone I know sleep?  
are they all just scared of their dreams?  
when they lay their heads down at night  
what are they haunted by? - Noro - Brand New**

**

* * *

**

_to be continued_


	7. Midnight and I

_Sorry, been working long hours anyways here we go..._

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**"Midnight and I"**

Ellie sat in the kitchen, silently, as the night wore on around her. She had not been able to sleep for the past three nights. There was something in her head keeping her awake, giving her nightmares, almost warning her. She sat in the dim light, staring at the counter, afraid to sit on the couch and watch television, she would fall asleep if she did. She could stay awake during the day, that wasn't a problem, but the nights were getting to her. Three days with no sleep, she was starting to feel it and others had been noticing.

Ellie began to nod off when she heard the sound of shuffling. She looked down the hallway but no one was walking down it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw what appeared to be the figure of a person pass. She turned but again she was alone in the kitchen. She stood up and began walking down the hallway where she had heard the shuffling. She peered around corners, looking for any source of the noise or the shadow.

"Hello?" She asked in the darkness and was met by another noise, this one coming from the kitchen she had just left. She hurried down the hallway towards the sound and walked back into the kitchen.

She walked inside and saw a girl, about the same height as herself but with dark black hair standing in front of the window, her back to Ellie.

"Hello?" Ellie asked again and the girl turned around. It was then that Ellie realized who she was looking at, herself.

"You killed them, all of them, why would you do that?"

Ellie heard the words, in her own voice, but the other girl's mouth hadn't moved. She stood in front of herself and the twin smiled, as the words played over and over, she continued to smile.

"What are you doing?" Ellie asked herself but she did not answer, only smiled, "Why are you here?"

The smile faded from the twins face and she finally spoke in a solemn monotone, that sounded as evil as it was calm, "You will hurt them, all of them, and one by one they'll become terrified of you and they'll lock you up. Then they will kill you."

"They won't kill me," Ellie told herself.

"No, but they will try and I'll take over and I'll stop them. Then you will ask me why I did it in your scared pathetic little voice."

Ellie heard the words repeat, "You killed them, all of them, why would you do that?"

The twin laughed, "To which I'll answer, because you wanted me to."

"No I don't and I won't let you." Ellie glared at the twin.

"Maybe not now, but you will, and you'll unleash the beast from its cage and then I'll take over. I'll show you what's going to happen, if you'd like to know that is."

Ellie thought about it, knew she had somehow fallen asleep in the kitchen and knew there was no way of waking her up.

"If it'll tell me how to stop you then I'll go." Ellie stated flatly, following the twin out of the kitchen and down the hallway.

The twin laughed, "There is no stopping me, not without killing yourself and I don't think you, Jean or Logan are prepared to do that. You all want your precious little family to work and they already know I'm here, looks like I put a wrench into that idea." The twin smiled as the two walked down the hallway and it changed, quickly and seamlessly, it turned into wreckage.

The mansion was shattered and dismantled while Ellie and her twin stood outside of it, watching.

Ellie watched as Jean frantically searched the rubble and found what she was looking for, Ellie lying unconcious in the wreckage, unhurt.

Ellie stood up as Jean shook her awake.

"You're okay, thank God," Jean said as she hugged her daughter.

"Stay away from me," Ellie said as she pulled away from her mother, Jean looked confused and tried again to reach out to her daughter.

"I do love this part," The twin said as she smiled.

"No! Stay away!" Ellie shouted and suddenly, she changed and Jean was thrown back. There was no hint of the Ellie Jean knew inside the girl, she was gone. Something else had taken its place.

"You should have killed her Jean, you knew the minute you heard me what I was capable of, you could have saved everyone else the trouble if you had just let her go, but you couldn't. You're pathetic."

Ellie watched herself destroy the mother she wanted and watched her father react to it. She watched herself destroy her father, who in a fit of rage, was ready to kill her.

She shut her eyes as she heard the sound of the metal on his bones being torn from his skin.

"I think that's enough," the twin stated and Ellie opened her eyes. They were back in the kitchen, "See what I was talking about."

"I won't let you," Ellie's voice cracked.

"You'll try to keep me away, but eventually I'll get through. Besides, that's not even the worst of it." The twin smirked.

"What?" Ellie asked, her eyes widening.

"No, the world will end in fire and you will be the cause of it all, you should probably thank the brotherhood though, for all the encouragement."

Ellie looked at her twin in confusion, "What's the brotherhood?"

The twin smiled, Ellie falling for the trap, "I've said too much, I best be going now, mommy's not going to be too pleased about all this." The twin disappeared and Ellie woke with a shock on the kitchen floor. Marie standing over her, gloved hand on her shoulder, face full of concern.

Ellie felt the memories resurface as fresh as if she'd been watching them again and she ran for the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet.

She took a few deep breaths, rinsed her mouth out and splashed her face with cold water. She looked at herself in the mirror, eyes purple and red, mouth dry and skin pale. She looked terrible.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Ellie asked herself and saw one of her eyes flash black before returning to its normal green luster, "I'm not going to let you do it, I promise, I will find a way to stop you."

**There's a crack in the clouds  
But only for a moment now  
Like an eye looking out, in blue skies -  
Finds the roads we will go down - The Shape of Things to Come - Audioslave**

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	8. Don't Let Your Enemies Become Friends

_Sorry about the wait once again...here is chapter eight._

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**"Don't Let Your Enemies Become Friends"**

The clicking of the rain on the roof felt louder in the silence. Ellie sat in her room quiet and alone. She hadn't gone to class in several days and thought everyone was worried, they hadn't forced her to go.

She was sure the student didn't mind that she wasn't there. They could probably breathe a little easier knowing they weren't sitting in the same room as a ticking bomb.

That was what she felt like. A bomb. She was waiting for the moment when she would go off, when she would harm someone, when she would kill. She could feel the darkness creeping in and she could feel the worry inside every adults mind. Her head felt like a lightning storm inside, as if there was a war raging. She had cracked her window, broken another mirror, and several lightbulbs because of this.

Her mother had been avoiding her but her father was determined to get her out of her room. He tried threats, he tried talking, but nothing was working and Ellie was just as stubborn as he was.

Her dreams had been getting worse. She didn't feel like her mind was her own, she didn't feel like she was her own person anymore. She felt like a posessed puppet and the demon within was pulling the strings.

She waited until nightfall when the school was silent and she was sure everyone was asleep. She grabbed the bag she had packed several hours ago and opened her door. There was no one around, not even her father. She took a deep breath and walked out into the hallway.

Two floors later and she reached the front door without so much as a stray student wandering back from the bathroom.

She was sure Jean or Xavier would have at least attempted to stop her. Her hand shook as she opened the door and walked out of the school she wanted to call home.

* * *

_She's gone_

Jean woke up suddenly, the two words still ringing in her mind.

"No," she said to herself as she got out of bed and ran down the hall, Logan right behind her.

She unlocked the door and opened it without so much as a second thought.

"You could have done that the entire time she was in there," Logan said both angrily and sarcastically.

"I know, but she needed to be alone or I thought she did." Jean walked into the trashed room, where no girl slept. Glass littered the floor, while wind began to blow through the room. The window had been broken.

"She couldn't have done this," Logan said, attempting to make both Jean and himself feel better.

Jean thought back to the night she heard the mirror break the first time, how terrified she had been and what she had heard. Her daughter had done this but hadn't at the same time. She tried to find Ellie and felt the barriers the girl hadn't put up.

"Oh my God," Jean said aloud, running down the hall with Logan confused and following.

* * *

Ellie walked down the road, in the rain, her sweatshirt freezing and soaking. She saw the lights of a car and heard it stop beside her.

The tinted window of the limousine rolled down.

"Elizabeth Grey, I haven't seen you since you were about two years old," the woman said politely, her accent tinting the words to sound more proper than they actually were.

"Well I havent seen you ever so you can leave me alone," Ellie said, attempting a fighting word but failing. She felt weak and alone.

"I see you have your father's wit." The words felt dark and sinister despite the good natured attempt and Ellie felt a chill run up her spine but that could have easily been mistaken for the rain.

"You know my parents?" Ellie asked, the chills continuing to rage and twist her insides.

"Of course I do, I used to work with them, would you like a ride back to the institute or somewhere else perhaps?" She asked politely, noticing the obvious appearance of a runaway.

Ellie didn't want the ride, didn't feel any sort of trust in the situation, she was cold. This woman, whoever she was, wasn't good news and Ellie new this. However, despite herself and despite her instincts she felt like she wanted the ride, like she needed to get in the car. She felt the headache again, as if the war was back, and she pressed her hand to her head in attempt to silence the pain.

"Somewhere else would be great," She said, almost choking on her words. And as the woman slid aside and let Ellie into the car, she smiled before sending a message to a friend and an enemy.

_Got her._

* * *

Professor Xavier heard the words and stared out the window of his office, he wasn't sleeping tonight.

Jean opened the door to his office with Logan in tow.

"They got her didn't they?" Jean asked, her eyes terrified of the answer. "Please, tell me they didn't."

"I believe our friend Miss Frost has found her place in the brotherhood and in the mind of your child," Xavier said, his eyes falling to the floor.

They could hear the growl from Logan and could do nothing to stop him as he stormed out of the office.

Jean felt the rage begin, "Did you know she was doing this?"

"I'm didn't and I am truly sorry about that. She knows our weakest points and she's very manipulative, I doubt anyone could have realized what she was doing." Charles felt the weight of his own words. He was ashamed he hadn't noticed, hadn't been looking for a sign when he was there the night Jean had to send Ellie away. He knew what the brotherhood was after and thought he would have had more time to get rid of the threat before Ellie returned. He couldn't do it.

"I'm going to kill her," Jean said, her eyes darkening. For years, she had learned to control the power within and to keep the beast at bay, but this was her daughter and this was the breaking point. She wanted them dead, every last one of the brotherhood and she would accomplish that task if she had to die doing it.

"Jean, you don't even know where she is and by killing her you could harm Ellie."

Her eyes returned to normal but the rage still lingered on the surface. She needed to rescue Ellie and then she could enjoy the death of Emma Frost.

"What about Logan?" Jean asked.

"He's going after them but I doubt he'll find her," Charles said with a sigh as his eyes returned to the floor.

* * *

The limo drove down the highway, the rain continuing to pound against the metal and glass. Ellie was dry, but she still felt cold. This was wrong and she shouldn't be in this car.

"I think you can drop me off at the next exit," Ellie said quietly but Emma continued to look out the window.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Emma said calmly, Ellie felt the invading force inside her mind but this time she didn't let it take control, somehow she stopped it.

"I don't care what you think, I'm getting out at the next exit." Ellie felt her mind grow clearer, knew why she didn't want to be in the car and felt the fear creep in.

"No, you're not." Emma looked away from the window and directly at Ellie, her voice growing angrier.

"You did this, didn't you? All of it." Ellie's eyes widened as she realized just how dire her situation was.

"Well I can't take all of the credit but I think you should take a nap, we'll be there shortly," Emma said, her voice becoming almost fuzzy and dreamlike.

"I'm not tired," Ellie tried to fight but felt whatever barrier she had created crumble.

"I think you are, look your eyes are already closing." Emma hit Ellie with one more dose and Ellie collapsed against the seat.

Like a wild animal hit with a tranquilizer and hauled off to the zoo, Ellie was stuck with no way to run and nowhere to go.

**Slip into silent slumber**  
**Sail on a silver mist**  
**Slowly and surely your senses**  
**Will cease to resist - Trust in Me - Selena Gomez (From the Jungle Book)**

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	9. At Arm's Length

_And on to chapter nine..._

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

**"At Arm's Length"**

The rain continued to thrash against the roof of the institute and though it was of natural causes, the severity of the storm was unnerving to some of the children. They almost thought it was of some mutant cause, but it wasn't.

The institute was in a frenzy trying to find leads on the whereabouts of Emma Frost and the brotherhood. Professor Xavier locked away in Cerebro for hours at a time while Gambit walked the streets, trying to find anyone with any helpful knowledge. It wasn't until about a week into the search that the famous Shadowcat, Angel, and Nightcrawler decided to come back to the Institute in Westchester after helping Scott with his own institute out west.

"We heard the munchkin came back home," Kitty said cheerfully as she walked through the door never waiting for it to open as usual.

And before anyone could ask, Warren walked through the door and Kurt teleported in. The cheer of the trio was quickly destroyed by Ororo breaking the news to them.

And as the sadness washed over them for the child they had seen years ago it was quickly replaced by the determination to bring her home once again.

For this was what they had always feared would happen, someone would try to use her as a weapon, force human beings to bow down to the mutant race. Magneto would make them all pay, as he had always wanted to, as he always would, and as he was about to accomplish with Emma Frost pulling the strings to their puppet.

A day later and the trail getting even colder, Logan left the institute and Jean thought back on the past as she lay down in her bed, unable to let her mind go anywhere else.

* * *

_The water was cold and everything was dark. Was she dead? No, there was nothing to tell her otherwise. She felt the chill of the water and the pain of being stabbed by its ice. She could hear the rush in her ears as her blood pounded inside her skull, but she couldn't see, she could only fear the weight of darkness as she drifted through the murky depths._

_As she drifted, time passing unnoticed, she saw a light and she moved through the water on her own. She swam towards the light and as the light became too bright and the rush of water so loud she closed her eyes until the air returned to her lungs and she breathed on her own. She opened her eyes to the world, feeling as if everything had been turned on its head. She couldn't make anything out, seeing with newborn eyes. Everything was blurred but a voice in her head told her to walk and she did._

_She walked, never seeing where she was and still unable to discern sounds. As she walked, her sight began to clear and the sound of the world returned in short time spans that grew increasingly longer._

_It wasn't until the lights of a truck almost destroyed her once again that she crossed another human soul. This man, terrified and amazed by her was the first person she encountered and the first she killed. She didn't know his name, he offered her a jacket and a ride and for one hour she sat in his truck. She felt warm and she remained quiet, but he tried to touch her and she wouldn't let him, so he got violent and she had to get violent back._

_She left the truck, flaming and overturned on the side of the road. And as she continued to walk, she found a clothing store and took the clothes she wanted when no one was around. It was as she walked through the streets of a northern and remote town that her head began to ache with the thoughts of those around her._

_She screamed in her agony and ruins remained where a town once stood, only a few left alive to tell their story to the news team that would alert the x-men of Jean Grey's return, but of course, they hadn't known who it was at the time._

_They hadn't but he had. Xavier had always known._

_When the team arrived to the desolate town, she knew and she waited for them to find her._

_She continued to wander the town, wondering who she was and where she was supposed to be. Was there anyone looking for her, or had she never had anyone to begin with. What was this life she now found herself in? And what was wrong with her, why could she destroy when she didn't even understand what it was that she was doing? She wanted to understand, she wanted to know, and she could only walk until someone stopped her. She could only listen to the voice in her head that helped her survive and was leading her through the darkness towards the light._

_She came across the team standing in the center of the town, there shocked faces barely registering. All she saw was the claws and her instinct was to survive, so she tried to survive. It wasn't until one of the girl's laid a hand on her arm that she felt tired and she collapsed in the snow._

_"What happened to her?" She heard through the haze of sleep._

_"Something beyond my capabilities to understand, Scott, you should ask the professor," a woman spoke her voice rising and falling with the least emotional involvement anyone could be capable of._

_"Well he ain't exactly here now is he," another man said, his voice gruff while also retaining both anger and calm._

_"Where did he go?" The first voice asked._

_"No one knows."_

_"I need to find him, tell him what happened," the man said with an air of leadership. He was determined and no one intended to stop him, she could feel it in all of their minds._

_"That's probably best," the woman said calmly, "I'll stay here in case she wakes up."_

_"No, you two go, I'll stay here."_

_"Logan, you can't be serious," the first man spoke, angrily with jealousy tainting the words._

_"She can't exactly kill me if she goes berserk and Frost can help you find the professor a lot easier than if you go it alone boy scout." She could almost hear the smirk at the end of the sentence._

_"As much as I hate to admit it, Logan's right, Scott lets go and find the professor than you two can work out your issues later."_

_The tension subsided, "Fine."_

_She heard the doors open and heard the two pairs of footsteps exit as a chair scraped across the floor for someone to take a seat._

_"I knew you wouldn't go out so easily," Logan said with a smirk and she opened her eyes to the lit room. Her vision perfect for the first time since she had awoken in the lake. She stared into his eyes as time passed but she didn't move, she was too frightened and too enthralled by the way his hair seemed to be permanently disheveled._

* * *

Logan rode the motorcycle down the highway in the dead of night. He was pissed, ready for a fight and hoping he came across the wrong type of person at the right time, well right for him.

He didn't know where to begin his search, the trail had been growing cold while everyone tried to discuss the best course of action. He could barely make out Ellie's scent outside the institute and felt it disappearing every second he drove onward. He wasn't getting any closer and all he could do was pray that he found her before she was gone beyong repair. What were they doing to her and was she losing her mind every second? With Frost on Magneto's side it was only a matter of time before she was the perfect little soldier for them.

He had to fight the claws from tearing through his skin at the thought. He breathed deeply and continued on, he needed to find her and he would. As the bike groaned in the darkness of the night he thought back to the past and how everything had become so screwed up and perfect at the exact same time.

* * *

_She hadn't tried to kill him. She didn't know who he was but she hadn't tried to kill him. She didn't know who anyone was and while she was hostile to the others, never to him. This had pissed Scott off to no end but Logan reveled in it. She had almost ripped apart the professor when he had finally arrived and the other X-men were terrified of her. Even Ororo, her best friend, wanted her gone. Marie stood up for Jean understanding the same outcast feeling the woman must have felt._

_They were going through a similar situation with Remy, a former member of the brotherhood who had changed sides. While he had helped greatly, the trust he was building was a slow go. However, they respected his opinion on the matter and he respected the fact that he was able to give it, but he chose to stay silent on the matter._

_Weeks went by and Xavier had only spoken with Jean telpathically, unable to be in the same room as her without her trying to harm him. She was fractured, unable to comprehend the friendship and only understood the rage brewing within. She connected with Logan if only on the fact that they shared the same burden. They felt like they were in a constant fight and while he had learnt to control it, if only minorly, she was relearning all of her old abilities and the control she had learnt over the years._

_Logan tried to help her and some days she would let him. Soon enough she was able to emerge from below the school and had pieced some of her old memories back together if only enough to remember what she had been doing at the school. It would take more time but eventually she would regain everything whether she wanted it all or not._

_Logan helped, he was a constant when everyone was abandoning her in her hour of confusion and need. It could have been he was unafraid because she couldn't kill him or that he was just reckless, but she was grateful just the same and he could hear it when she spoke to him. Xavier had even told him not to let it go that she needed him more than anyone else._

_With time came more memories and even when she remembered Scott she continued to confide in Logan. She was connected to him in a way that no one else could understand and it led to Scott leaving. She seemed unphased by the entire thing and this had angered all of her former friends, some of whom were beginning to trust her again._

_Marie seemed to be the only other friend besides Logan whom Jean could speak to. She was the first person she told when she and Logan had gotten caught up in a moment and the first she told when that moment had led to a consequence that she hadn't foreseen and neither had anyone else._

_Jean grew distant and afraid of what would happen to the child she feared and wanted at the exact same time. She couldn't tell Logan, she didn't know how he would react and Logan did what he always did, he got angry. He yelled and he fought with everyone who would fight him. He put holes in the walls and almost caused the danger room to malfunction with the amount of time he spent using it._

_When he finally confronted Jean about everything, nearly a month after they had been together he brought up the fact that she was just missing the boy scout. And though she had denied this, he thought it was true and he fought her on the issue until eventually he left but not before he told her, "everything had been a mistake," and that she should, "just go back to him."_

_And while he knew this had hurt her, he didn't care, and he left her and everyone else to their own devices. He would still help Xavier when he called but he spent most of his time traveling. He couldn't stay in the same place for too long and he didn't want to, it brought back too many memories when he stayed still._

* * *

Of course now Logan realized what everything had been about and he had been an ass. He knew why she had wanted to attack him in the park. He had abandoned her just as everyone else had and on top of that had told her to go back to the guy she never really wanted. He needed to make amends but first he needed to find his daughter.

**That secret that you know **  
**But don't know how to tell**  
**It fucks with your honor**  
**And it teases your head**  
**But you know that it's good girl**  
**Because it's running you with red - "Blood Bank" - Bon Iver**

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	10. Sleep Through the Static

_marching on to chapter ten..._

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**"Sleep Through the Static"**

She opened her eyes in the darkness, feeling nothing on her arm and no weight to hold her down. She was lying in some kind of hospital bed, the door slightly open. Had they forgotten? She tried to stand and found the world blurred in a daze. She stumbled but fought her way to the door.

The room stretched, or appeared to stretch, the door now farther away. She could see the light, almost hear the birds singing her freedom and she tried to run to the door. Shadows began to fall onto her and darkness was creeping its way towards her. She couldn't fall to the dark, she had to reach the light.

She kept running but went nowhere until the shadow was an inch from her and the door slammed shut. The shadow surrounded her and she felt the cold tear her apart. She shut her eyes and woke up in a bathroom with one light flickering. She stood up from the cold floor and placed her hand on the sink.

She turned the faucet but no water came out, only small droplets the color of rust, hit the bottom of the sink. Ellie looked into the faded mirror and saw the dilated and bloodshot eyes that she was afraid to call her own. She heard the scurrying of the rats in the walls and felt the sound grow louder with each passing second.

There was no door and thus no way out. The sound kept getting louder and louder until the scratching on the walls blurred and became white noise rushing in her ears. She fell to the floor as the sound continued to grow until the glass of the mirror shattered and she found herself screaming.

Ellie screamed for hours or rather for what felt like hours. She finally opened her eyes to the dark room where she was chained to the chair and the IV needle stuck in her arm. She saw Emma Frost standing in front of her, smirking, before another wave of visions were thrown into Ellie's mind.

This had been going on since Ellie was kidnapped. The world was lost in a haze with the past and present blurring in a way that there was no time. Everything was fiction and everything was fact there was no way to tell which was which.

Ellie was a prisoner of her own mind, sedated to stop her from fighting and forced to endure whatever the brotherhood wanted. She was Emma's puppet and she could feel the darkness.

She had visions of escape, only to wake with the IV still in her arm with her legs chained. She forgot everything about her life, herself and her family. She forgot the world she lived in and forgot what reality tasted like. She forgot her own name.

It only took 30 days but it felt like 30 years.

When Emma was done for the day, Ellie dreamed of her mother, her biological mother, Jean Grey. She dreamt of her death and of being raised by her. She dreamt of life at the institute without interference of the world she lived in and she dreamt of a past she had forgotten, though she wasn't sure it was real at all.

She screamed for help, outloud at first and then it became a silent plea. Emma wasn't going to help her, no one here was. She tried to send her location telepathically, or send them images so they could find her, but she was stuck. The solution being pumped into her blood stream stopped any power she might have possessed. It made the world foggy and it made her more suceptible to Emma's control.

She became a zombie and she was lost in the nightmare world that had been created as her cell. She wasn't sure if she was eating, but she had to be getting fed somehow, otherwise she would have died long ago. She wondered if the nutrition she needed was also in the IV solution but she couldn't be sure.

She prayed for rescue but it did not come. She imagined a rescue once before being left because no one could see her or the countless enemies surrounding them. She was trapped in Hell and no one could save her. She saw the deaths of the people she knew, she saw the earth burn by her hand and she saw the destruction of everything she knew. She watched herself kill and she saw herself being killed. She feared the dark and she constantly tried to reach for light but could never get to it.

She felt herself sinking deeper and drowning in the dark that was consuming her. Where were her parents? Where was anyone?

When she forgot them, she lost the idea of rescue with it and she fought the dark for herself.

When she forgot herself and lost her name, she had no reason to fight anymore. She lost her soul and she lost all hope with it. They had won but they weren't done with her mind yet. They needed to rebuild her to become what they wanted. The perfect soldier and the perfect enemy to the x-men.

They needed her to destroy the humans and create the world of the superior race. The mutant race.

_They _needed _her_.

This idea and this concept became so clear in her mind that she realized she could still fight, even without a name or a family, she could fight because they couldn't do anything worse to her than what had already happened.

She was safe because they needed her.

However the concept kept fading from view as the world caved and changed shape, as Emma Frost did all she could to tear the last remnant of hope Ellie Grey held onto. As all the fear continued to rip apart the fragile young woman, Ellie held onto the belief that she was important and that she was as safe as she could be. She began to see the truth, of what was real and what wasn't.

When they upped the dose of sedative and she fell once again to the drug coursing through her veins she found herself listening to her mother's voice inside her head and she felt a new light and hope with it.

"Stop!" Ellie screamed to Emma after witnessing another horrific death by her own hands.

Emma felt the pressure as Ellie fought back despite the drug.

"Why do you continue to fight? Let me stop it by helping us. You have no name, you have no family, you have nothing, let me fix it," Emma said, feigning concern and failing.

"I'd rather have nothing than help you, you bitch!" Ellie felt the surge of anger as she pushed Emma back with all of her might.

Emma's chair rocked and slid back as Ellie fought the binds and felt the needle fall from her arm. She felt the surge of power and the chains broke from her ankles, she stood while Emma watched and could not move.

Ellie breathed deeply and felt the free air fill her lungs, she smiled but was suddenly thrown back into her chair.

"Up the dose again!" Ellie heard someone shout as the needle was shoved back into her arm and she was shoved back into her chair. She screamed as she fought them tooth and nail but they could not be stopped and she felt the weight of sedation once again. This time there was no fighting it and she shut her eyes without hesitation. She was lost once again to the world.

* * *

It was almost another month later when she was finally rescued. Her father broke into the abandoned hospital and destroyed whatever guards were left. There was no sign of Magneto or Emma Frost in the building, he found Ellie lying in a bed, the IV needle still in her arm but otherwise untouched. She remained asleep even after he pulled out the needle and carried her to a motel where he called the institute and told them to come with the plane.

When they showed up two hours later, Jean ran to Ellie's side while Logan carried her to the plane. Jean checked Ellie for any signs of injury but found none aside from the small bruise where the needle had been in the skin. They strapped her in to a chair and took off back towards the institute.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Logan asked quietly to Jean, sitting beside him.

"As much as I can tell, she's been drugged long enough that she's basically in a medicated coma. I don't know how long until she wakes up but she should be able to," Jean said quietly as Storm flew the plane in silence.

"I'm going to kill Magneto and Frost," Logan said fighting the claws that threatened to emerge.

"Not before I do," Jean stated, her hand balling into a fist.

**Crawling in my skin **  
**These wounds they will not heal **  
**Fear is how I fall **  
**Confusing what is real - "Crawling" - Linkin Park**

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	11. All the Birds Have Flown

_And here we are at chapter eleven, i know finally, sorry about the wait i've been very busy at work while simultaneously working on a comic book i'm developing with some friends._

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

**"All the Birds Have Flown"**

The sun rose over the mansion as the plane landed in its usual hiding place beneath the basketball court. While most of the current professors would not sleep due to their classes, Logan and Jean would not sleep until Ellie awoke. She was taken to the medical wing and though no one spoke of it, the students knew they had found her.

Jean ran her tests and found nothing medically wrong with Ellie but still she slept, almost as if she didn't remember how to wake up. By the middle of the day Ellie was placed on an IV to provide the proper nourishment.

Logan stood in the corner, still as a statue, waiting with a stoic expression. Inside, however, his heart was frozen and his stomach twisted at the site of the nearly dead looking girl that had been his very much confused but alive daughter a month ago. He wanted to tear the walls apart and chase down Magneto and his cronies. He was ready to contact Fury and beg to join the avengers if only for the chance at anyone responsible for this mess.

"You should get some sleep," Jean said as she sat in a chair beside the hospital bed.

"I'll live without it," Logan said quietly.

Jean almost smiled at the familiarity of the defiant remark and almost cried at the sound of the pain in the words.

She wasn't sure when he had moved from the wall but she felt the warm hand on her shoulder and she felt the tears begin to fall.

He said nothing as she cried but all she kept thinking was how she had failed to protect her child which, to her, was the worst thing of all. It was why Ellie had been sent away from the institute, it was why she had lived as normally as possible, it was why her name was Elizabeth and not Abigail.

It was why Ellie never had a life with the family that always wanted her. Jean cried over the lost years and for the pointlessness of it all. Jean cried while Logan stood behind her, hand on her shoulder, listening to her sobs and feeling his heart break for her. For all the years and the pain they both caused each other, he loved her and he couldn't stand to see her cry.

He said nothing, because that was what she needed but not what he wanted. When she was finished, he left her alone because that was what he needed but not what she wanted.

* * *

He stood outside the institute and smoked a cigar as he breathed the cool air around him. He listened to the students talking in rushed voices and hushed tones. They knew and he had no intention of giving them anything more to talk about. He made himself seem as casual as possible but when a group of girls walked by and he picked up Ellie's name mixed with the phrase crazy like her mother, he lost it and punched his fist through a tree.

When he glared at them, after the blood on his hand began to dry, he gave them enough of a scare to silence the lot of them.

And after they hurried away from him, he went on smoking his cigar in his usual fashion.

* * *

Jean sat beside Ellie's bed, the unspoken apologies and sorrows thick in the air. She placed a hand onto Ellie's and felt the memories of the first year with Ellie come rushing back.

She remembered holding the infant's hand and saying she would always be there for her. She remembered the news catching wind of the mutant child named Abigail Grey. She remembered the fear that spread through the "normal" humans and the arguments all over the television. She remembered the panic that no one knew what the infant was capable of and the slogans that read mutants shouldn't be allowed to breed.

She remembered a cold night in September when Mystique had stolen away into the mansion and attempted to kidnap Jean Grey's daughter and she remembered thanking the heavens that she had heard Abby's cries and stopped it from happening.

It was then that she knew what the only option was. It was then that Abigail Grey ceased to exist and Elizabeth Logan was adopted and given the last name, Bell. It was then that the panic ceased and the announcement was made that Abigail Grey had succumbed to an illness attributed to her mutant genes by some and an unfortunate part of life by others.

Jean kept the one picture she had of her daughter and although every member of the x-men, S.H.I.E.L.D. and its affiliates knew the truth, the public and the brotherhood did not, which were the two most important things.

It allowed for an eye to be kept on Ellie and for the proper procedures to be taken if and when her mutant abilities finally showed itself.

It was pointless though because it had done nothing to stop the brotherhood, not when they had their spies, not when they suspected and then knew the truth.

And Jean was just about ready to let the phoenix out of its cage for the sake of avenging her daughter's pain, but she couldn't let it happen here, not until she knew the extent of the damage they had obviously done. While it wasn't any physical injury, something had been destroyed, something that they needed to be nonexistant in order to put a plan into motion.

It was then that the thought occured to Jean, her mind.

The mind held all the power, it controlled one's thoughts and one's actions. If it was broken, if it was taken hostage, it could be told to do anything and that prisoner would do it, no remorse, no second thought.

Jean knew the cure to the disease that was tearing Ellie apart. Even without Emma Frost in the institute or the general vicinity, she could still be controlling Ellie. As long as she was able to maintain the connection and she was powerful enough, which she was, it could be done.

Jean gripped Ellie's hand tighter.

"It's all going to be okay, I'm going to fix this."

And with those final words, Jean Grey left the land of consciousness and entered the horrorshow that was the fractured psyche of a teenage girl corrupted by Emma Frost.

**Baby I've been here before**  
**I've seen this room and I've walked this floor**  
**You know, I used to live alone before I knew you**  
**I've seen your flag on the marble arch**  
**And love is not a victory march**  
**It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah - "Hallelujah" - Jeff Buckley**

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	12. Bleeding Effect

_Now to Chapter 12, figured you all deserve two updates close together if you're still reading..._

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

**"Bleeding Effect"**

_"A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others"_

_- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum_

The world was dark with storm clouds hanging overhead. This would be a normal site if not for the gray grass below her feet and the dead and broken tree beside her. Spiders sprang from below the tree and crawled towards her but Jean was unphased by it. She knew the tricks and she knew the world was a nightmare made to feel like reality.

She looked at the stark white dress she found herself wearing and could not help feeling alone and lost despite the fact that she knew what was happening.

The spiders disappeared the minute she began to move through the grass and towards the door at the end of the field. This was just the beginning and she was certain things would proceed to become increasingly ugly.

As she walked to the door, the grass seemed to melt and form an ocean of ink and despite the knowledge this wasn't real, she fell in. She felt the ink, like tar, crush her lungs and seep through her nose and mouth. She fought the urge to allow herself into the darkness, instead she shut her eyes and envisioned the field.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing once again in the field but this time the grass was green and the tree was very much alive. The sun began to shine and the birds flew overhead. She looked to the door and watched as vines began to encircle it and break the formerly aged looking door before turning it into an arch.

She walked through it and found herself standing beside a broken building. Fire sprang from the shattered wooden boards and glass littered the ground. The sounds of crying and whimpering met her ears and she ran towards the sounds.

And earth shattering scream was heard and Jean ran faster towards the sound, the ash stinging her eyes. When she finally reached the center of the chaos it was then that she realized what was happening.

The building was the institute and the crying was coming from a very small girl, a very young Ellie. It was then that Jean smelled the rot and decay of burning flesh. It was then that she saw the bodies of her loved ones and finally herself.

It was then that she also saw a present day Ellie standing beside the little girl, laughing at the chaos and reveling in the torture she was inflicting. The little girl continued to sob and cry, listening as the older version taunted and teased that her family was dead and it was all her fault.

"You're evil, you have to know that they never loved you. Deep down, you feel it in your heart. There is no love, there is only pain. You will always be alone. You are nothing and you will never be anything."

Jean felt her heart break and felt the tears threaten to fall as she saw her child, in both forms, becoming what she feared she would be and crying in pain wishing for her mother.

"Come with me and I'll make it all go away Ellie."

The empty promise rang in the air as the younger Ellie, the five year old who could not understand, stood and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I want my mom," she cried, "I want to go home."

"You don't have a home, kid, you destroyed it. But if you want to see your mom again, I might be able to pull a few strings and make that happen." The older Ellie smirked, it was over, she had won.

Jean wasn't sure how many times this had played out and if it had had a different outcome. Was this the breaking point? Had Ellie relived this moment too many times to fight anymore?

The older Ellie held out her hand and the little one hesitated to take it.

Jean couldn't stand by any longer, "Don't do it."

The younger Ellie's face lit up, she smiled, but quickly recoiled when the older one stood in front of her.

"How did you get in here?" The older one asked angrily.

"You're not nearly as good as you think you are, Emma," Jean said as she smirked.

"I'm taking her with me, you can't do anything about it."

The little one ran to Jean's side and stood beside her, but was almost afraid to take her hand.

"I don't think I have to," Jean said as she held her hand out to her daughter.

"It could be a trick," the little Ellie said to herself, taking a step back from both parties, on the verge of tears. "It's happened before, I think."

"This isn't a trick, trust me," Jean said quietly, leaning down to the eye level of the young daughter she had never known.

"I can't, no, she made you up, I wish for you to save me and she makes you up, then you burn up or you laugh and hurt me. No, you're made up." The younger Ellie sat down on the ground, crying into the yellow dress covered in dirt and ash from the flames.

"It's too late, Jean, I've already won. She doesn't know what's real anymore, she doesn't even remember her own name. She's all mine." The older girl laughed, walking towards the younger one, ready to take her to the next place of torture.

Jean felt the fury and the rage of the Phoenix somehow come to the surface. She watched as the older Ellie was thrown back into the house.

"She is not yours Frost and I swear to God, if you lay another hand on my daughter, I will end you."

Emma's voice met her ears, "Not in here you can't."

"Not now, but I will, I am going to fix all of this and you are never going to invade Ellie's mind again." Jean felt the force of a fight but did not move. She felt the pressure of attempting to move an object that was too heavy but kept pushing against the force. She heard a snap, felt a break and the institute disappeared and Jean was standing in snow that wasn't cold.

The flurries fell from the sky and the lake beside her was iced over. Trees also contained icicles and the scene was pretty where it once had been blood stained and horrifying.

The young Ellie still sat on the ground, her hands over her ears, eyes closed tightly, trying to block everything out.

Jean leaned down once again to the small girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

The five-year-old opened her eyes and looked into her mothers, the same color, the same shade, as her own and she knew that this was real. Well, as real as it could be within the context of a dream.

"Mommy?" The small voice asked and Jean smiled as Ellie jumped up and wrapped the small arms around her mother's waist and hugged her with all the strength she could muster.

"It's okay, honey." Jean stroked the young girl's hair as she began to cry again.

"I missed you so much, I was starting to think you wouldn't find me," Ellie cried, feeling as if she would never let go.

"I know, me too." Jean felt the tears fall before she could fight them and despite the fact that she was talking to a much smaller version, she knew she was speaking to the daughter lying in the hospital bed as well as the one in front of her.

"Can we go home?" The little girl asked holding out her hand.

"Of course we can, Ellie," Jean said taking her hand.

* * *

Jean opened her eyes to the fluorescent lights in the medical room and looked around briefly before turning her attention back to her daughter.

Her hand still held Ellie's and it wasn't until Ellie began to stir that she let go.

Ellie's eyes slowly opened and she groaned as if she had been hit with a baseball bat.

"What happened?" Ellie muttered as she tried to sit up.

"Don't try to sit up," Jean said quickly, switching into the doctor and attempting to hold her patient down.

"I'm good, mom, just let me sit up." Jean, temporarily caught up in the real world use of the word 'mom' let Ellie sit up despite her better judgement.

Jean didn't say anything as she didn't want to ruin the moment, but inside her heart leapt. Did Ellie think of her as her mom now? Or was it just a side effect of the dream, she couldn't be sure, but she would take it either way.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Jean said, her voice breaking as she hugged her daughter tightly.

And for any reason that neither cared about Ellie hugged her mother back and fell into the embrace that she had wanted for so many years. Despite the years and despite the adopted family she had sort of loved, Ellie never stopped wishing for her mother.

**I had a dream my life would be**  
**So different from this hell I'm living**  
**So different now from what it seemed**  
**Now life has killed the dream I dreamed. - "I Dreamed A Dream" - Les Miserables (As Covered on Glee)**

* * *

_...to be continued..._


End file.
